Willis, Brooks Have Big Day at Remington

Leading trainer and jockey win five straight on a card that also featured two stakes.

Press ReleaseApril 6, 2014

Sunday afternoon racing featured a pair of stakes races and six trial heats to determine qualifiers for the $298,000 Remington Park Oklahoma-bred Derby (RG3). Eddie Willis and Jimmy Brooks, the leading trainer and jockey, respectively, on the season dominated the derby trials, winning the last five 400-yard heats in a row.

The big win streak helped Willis place six of his runners in the final field of 10 for the Remington Park Derby, to be contested on April 19. He saddled top qualifier Shades Of Blues Girl, YM Rapid, BP Southern Dynasty, Midnight Cartel and Just After Me to successive wins, all with Brooks up.

Shades Of Blues Girl is owned by Reliance Ranches of Llano, Texas, and was bred in Oklahoma by Lucky Seven Ranch. The 3-year-old filly is by Corona Cartel from the Sixarun mare Run The Dash. Shades Of Blues Girl won the second trial of six for the Remington Park Derby while gaining her fourth career win from eight attempts. She is a perfect two-for-two at Remington Park with both wins coming this season.

Willis now has 30 wins for the season through 19 race dates while Brooks has ridden 27 winners.

Grade 3 Pauls Valley StakesWahoo gained the lead in the Grade 3, $51,800 Pauls Valley Stakes and never looked back, taking the 870-yard race in a time of 44:918 over a fast track.

Making his first start at the 870-yard distance in April 2013 at Remington Park a winning one by scoring that allowance event by over eight lengths, Wahoo has run exclusively at the distance since then. He has recorded a stakes win and two second-place finishes in stakes company.

The 5-year-old Texas-bred gelded son of Feature Mr Jess from the First Down Dash mare First To Celebrate is owned and bred by Bobby Cox of Fort Worth, Texas. Wahoo was ridden by Russel Hadley and is trained by John Buchanan. He paid $7.20 to win, $5 to place and $2.80 to show while going off at wagering odds of 5-2. Call Her Hero, the lone female in the Pauls Valley Stakes, chased throughout and paid $6.80 to place and $4.40 to show. Free Stater pressed the pace early but faded to third and paid $3.60 to show. Emperor Valerian was the 3-2 betting favorite but never threatened and finished fifth.

Wahoo has now won five of 17 career starts with three triumphs at Remington Park. The winner’s share of the Pauls Valley Stakes, $29,892, boosts his overall bankroll to $93,928.

Mr Jet Moore StakesOlder Oklahoma-breds were featured in the $76,300 Mr Jet Moore Stakes (R) at 350 yards to wrap up the Sunday afternoon program at Remington Park. Slew Of Success was away sharply on his way to a one-length victory in :17.316.

Owned by Mary Kirby of Pryor, Oklahoma, and trained by her husband Jackie Kirby, Slew Of Success was ridden by Ricky Ramirez. The Mr Jet Moore victory is his second in a row this season, added to an allowance win in March. The 4-year-old gelding is by Cartel Success from the Dash Ta Fame mare Winnie Ta Poo.

Slew Of Success was 7-2 in the wagering and paid $9.80 to win, $6.20 to place and $3.40 to show. JB James, the beaten 9-5 betting favorite, was second and paid $5 to place and $3.40 to show. BPs Jumpin Frisco was another neck back in third and paid $5.80 to show.

Slew Of Success won for the fifth time from 15 lifetime starts, posting his third career win at Remington Park. Bred in Oklahoma by Toni and Lloyd Yother, he earned $45,564 in the Mr Jet Moore Stakes to run his overall total to $141,406.

The Mr Jet Moore is named in honor of the 1972 world champion and winner of the very first Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos in California the same year. Mr Jet Moore was campaigned by the late Bob Moore, who was instrumental in bringing pari-mutuel horse racing to Oklahoma and a member of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame at Remington Park.